DIY AIO tank. Please advise!

[Subsea]

For conceptual understanding in your sketch,  your heater confuses the separation of algae and first layer of rubble.  Getting past that, I will assume algae, your sketch looks like chaeto, sits on top of rubble, which sits on top of eggcrate false bottom.  I would not filter water going into first chamber.  It is food for your pods and includes uneaten fish food.

 

For your cryptic refugium, it is not necessary to include rubble, except for your seed rock.  Cryptic sponges will attach to glass and eggcrate.  I like eggcrate for the good flow thru properties.  Also, consider miracle mud in bottom of second chamber.  The mud is not the miracle,  the granular size is the miracle.  It will support worms.  Worms reproduce live larvae to feed the tank.  Most miracle mud is high in iron, a very important limiting nutrient for photosynthetic organisms.

 

when I converted the mud section of EcoSystem mud/macro refugium, I laid eggcrate in mud to keep rock above this zone.

 

One advantage of EcoSystem design over yours is the horizontal flow and the fact that the first chamber is nothing but rubble.  All the detritus is broken up by rubble where flow goes ro second chamber at the bottom where detritus settles out on mud bed.  Algae floats above mud.  With your vertical flow, detritus will accumulate on bottom of second chamber.  In my 25 year old EcoSystem mud/macro refugium, I never replaced mud.  Over a 25 year period, the mud depth increased 1/2” and was crawling with worms.  The  placement of algae in effluent stream would not be my first option, it will clog up with detritus without mature populations of breeding pods.  Without knowing your reefkeeping methods, I would suggest your design less the algae.  You can always add it later.  Depending on how you feed your tank, you may not need nutrient export using algae harvesting.  Your refugium would feed your tank with pods, both adults and larvae will make it into the display to feed corals & fish.  

 

The cryptic sponges are more complex with their recycling, using organic and inorganic chemistry to recycle nutrients.  The byproduct of all photosynthetic organisms is DOC.   Cryptic sponges convert DOC into DIC & Marine Snow, both of which are food for coral.

 

Sponges process enormous volumes of water.  

 

One other comment on using algae to reduce nutrients, Without sufficient volume, you may never achieve your goal.   IMO, an algae turf scrubber would be better suited for your needs instead of macro algae.  In both cases, until you have mature sponge colonies, I would use GAC 24/7.  

 

While this is a “do it yourself” thread, please go to my thread, Natural Filtration  in biological filtration.  I would be happy to discuss any thoughts on bio-filtration.  

[Tanksy]

Thanks for your replies guys!

I hate the idea of having a sandbed of any kind right next to my return pump. I'm going to set up the fuge based on the last design and see how it goes. I can always add/remove things in the future. That's another advantage of adding a glass false wall. I won't have to empty the whole tank if I ever want to change anything in the sump/fuge.

[Tanksy]

On 24/02/2018 at 2:54 PM, Subsea said:

One advantage of EcoSystem design over yours is the horizontal flow and the fact that the first chamber is nothing but rubble.  All the detritus is broken up by rubble where flow goes ro second chamber at the bottom where detritus settles out on mud bed.  Algae floats above mud.  With your vertical flow, detritus will accumulate on bottom of second chamber.  In my 25 year old EcoSystem mud/macro refugium, I never replaced mud.  Over a 25 year period, the mud depth increased 1/2” and was crawling with worms.  The  placement of algae in effluent stream would not be my first option, it will clog up with detritus without mature populations of breeding pods.  Without knowing your reefkeeping methods, I would suggest your design less the algae.  You can always add it later.  Depending on how you feed your tank, you may not need nutrient export using algae harvesting.  Your refugium would feed your tank with pods, both adults and larvae will make it into the display to feed corals & fish.  

Patrick,

After further thought of what you said, I modified the refugium design again. It's basically one of the previous designs... with a twist.
I reckon this layout is more practical and can utilise the Ecosystem design. The first chamber is filled with rubble, where the detritus is broken up and then accumulates on bottom which is sugar sized sand. The second chamber is quite self-explanatory I guess. 

What do you think?

[Subsea]

It looks good.   That design allows you to harvest chaeto and should maximize pod populations in both first and second chamber.

[Tanksy]

Cheers Subsea!

 

This is what I have. Hairy situation, I know. 

 

 

Light: 2x 15w CFL and a strip of blue LED

Filter: Canister with sponge, matrix and purigen.

Running like that for 1 1/2 year. Not proud of it. That's why I'm building a new, proper, one.